National
USDA wants to buy more US wild shrimp, pollock Seafood Source by Christine Blank - September 14, 2020 Not long after purchasing hefty amounts of U.S. pollock, salmon, and other seafood, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now asking for bids on large quantities of wild shrimp and wild Alaska pollock nuggets. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/usda-wants-to-buy-more-us-wild-shrimp-pollock Labeling and Marketing Final ASMI Update Puts 2020’s Alaska Salmon Season in Historical Context SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - September 15, 2020 “The 2020 Alaska salmon season represents the third consecutive even-numbered year of relatively weak landings compared to historical averages. Measured by number of fish, this year’s harvest will rank 17th out of the 23 even-numbered years since 1975,” reads the opening paragraph of 2020’s final Weekly Alaska Salmon Harvest Update, written by economist Garret Evridge of the McDowell Group and sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. “This ranking may improve slightly as data are revised and the final landings of the season occur over the next few weeks.” Commenting on the 2020 season, when industry grappled with a worldwide pandemic and the economic downturn it caused, Evridge widens the frame to compare it with ten- and twenty-year averages. “At the statewide level, the 2020 sockeye harvest of 45 million fish is 15% below the 5-year average, on par with the 10 year-average, and nearly 10% ahead of the 20-year average. The multi-year trend of strong Bristol Bay harvest balancing weak sockeye production in other areas of the state continued in 2020. “If Bristol Bay is excluded from the statewide total, the 2020 sockeye harvest is the smallest since 1976. “Harvest of nearly 58 million pink salmon this summer lags the 10-year average (including only even-numbered years) by about 25%. While the current season is below longer-term averages, the 2016 and 2018 harvest were exceeded by about 50%. The harvest in Kodiak was surprisingly productive with the area exceeding its preseason forecast by 74% or nine million fish. “The 2020 harvest of about 7.5 million keta is the weakest harvest since 1979 with all regions of the state experiencing disappointing landings. The impact on Southeast and the AYK region is particularly challenging due to the relative importance of the species in regional fisheries. “Although some additional volume is expected in the next three weeks, coho production will have declined to levels last seen in the mid-1970s. Chinook volume for 2020 will end the season well below historical levels,” the summary concludes. In all, 85% of the pre-season predicted harvest for all species was realized statewide in 2020. Actual landings for each species of salmon came up short of pre-season forecasts by varying amounts — between 38% of the expected amount for keta and 95% for pinks. Year-to-year comparisons of landings showed 2020 coming up short, also, except for pink salmon, which was 47% above 2018’s landings. This was due largely to higher than forecasted harvests in Kodiak, the Aleutian Peninsula, and Cook Inlet. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1180612/Final-ASMI-Update-Puts-2020s-Alaska-Salmon-Season-in-Historical-Context Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Pot Catcher/Processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/16/2020 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/processors using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2020 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to catcher/processors using pot gear in the BSAI. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/16/2020-20408/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-by-pot-catcherprocessors-in-the Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Less Than 60 Feet (18.3 Meters) Length Overall Using Hook-and-Line or Pot Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/16/2020 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2020 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in the BSAI. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/16/2020-20430/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-cod-by-catcher-vessels-less-than-60-feet North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/14/2020 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webconference. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/14/2020-20205/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 09/16/2020 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Advisory Panel will meet via webconference October 2, 2020 through October 16, 2020. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/16/2020-20429/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting FYI’s Bristol Bay Salmon Week: Yay for the bay National Fisherman by Jessica Hathaway - September 15, 2020 It's Bristol Bay Salmon Week, and lucky for us, this is one celebration that's easy to do from afar. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/national-international/salmon-week-yay-for-the-bay
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